Credit: Kmrakmra / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Researchers say ancient Thracians consumed dog meat about 2,500 years ago, not out of hunger, but as part of organized communal feasts that carried social and ritual meaning. Thracian customs differed sharply from modern viewsIn modern Europe, eating dog meat would provoke strong public opposition. New research shows ancient Thracians consumed dog meat 2,500 years ago as part of ritual feasts. “Dog meat was not a necessity eaten out of poverty, as these sites are rich in livestock,” Nikolova said in comments to LiveScience. Some of the dog bones also showed signs of burning, which researchers interpret as evidence of cooking rather than disposal.